I decided to heat up a roll at 350 degrees and after a while, when I came back into the kitchen to check on it, I noticed that the baking element inside the oven was wrapped in flames (5-10 inches, and I think I also saw sparks). I switched the oven off, but the fire continued to snake around the heating element towards the back of the oven. I was afraid it will get out of the oven and into the wall. I did not know where to unplug the oven and whether I would be able to move the oven to get to the plug or if there is a plug at all.

In about 1 minute the fire stopped. When it was safe to open the oven, I was able to break the heating element by slightly twisting it with my two fingers. It was brittle, and broke apart like a piece of hard chocolate. This is a defect, for sure. The centers of the broken off pieces of the heating element are hollow--it looks like the wire(?) inside the element was defective. We bought it in 2003.

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GE Spectra Oven Fire

By retiredboomer - 06/04/2009

I remodeled my kitchen in 2002/2003 and purchased a GE Spectra Oven. Today I was preheating the oven at 350 deg. and my lower heating element caught fire -- just like the other reviews I just read -- it had a sparkler effect while it burned. I immediately shut off the oven and closed the door and the fire eventually went out after burning all the way around the heating element. Since there are 3 other complaints with the same problem, I agree there needs to be a recall on this oven. This problem is definitely a safety issue as well as product failure to perform as it should.

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Fire & Sparks

By aunethree138 - 10/04/2014

Rating: 1/51

DAYTON, OHIO -- I have had the same problem as all the other reviewers complaining about flame and sparks. I was cooking French Fries. My kids and I were all relaxing after a long week, watching television. One of my kids walked into the kitchen and started yelling for me to come quick. There were sparks and flames visible through the glass window into the oven. I turned the oven off but that did not stop the flames and sparks immediately -- they stopped a minute or so later and the kitchen filled with smoke.

We opened windows and doors until the house was ventilated and I went to see what had happened in the oven. The top element looked like it had melted and pieces of it were scattered around the interior of the oven. I thought about purchasing a new element, but am unsure of the right kind to buy or the safety of doing this -- although it sounds and looks easy to replace.

Additionally, I am unable to find any stickers or other markings on the oven to tell me the actual model number. We purchased our house last year and the oven was included with the house, but we did not receive any specific appliance documents from the previous owners. With all the bad reviews and persistent fire problems for this product, a recall is LONG OVERDUE!!!!!

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Getting the Runaround on a Repair

By smecwe - 07/02/2012

Rating: 2/51

12 year-old gas range, light use. The oven stopped working (while range top and broiler continue to work). We called GE Answer Center who diagnosed the problem quickly and told us the part (and part # WB16K0022) for the repair. Before setting up a service call, I wanted to know the cost of labor for this particular part - we know the repair may cost more or less and may not even involve the stated part. We only wanted to have a ballpark figure to work with - to repair or replace! GE Repair would not help us - "we can't give you that." GE consumer relations gave us the same runaround.

All we want is able to make an informed decision about repair or replace - and all GE wants is to collect $99 for a technician to come to our house. All of this has soured us to GE (I used to work for GE!) to the point that we are thinking about foregoing repair altogether and just buying a new (non-GE) range.

My GE Spectra glass top electric range has never given me a problem until tonight! But tonight it could have burned the house down! I was making brownies for my kids' party. I took out the first batch, then closed the oven and turned around to get the second batch to put in. Suddenly I hear loud popping ad zapping, and turn to see giant sparks shooting in my oven!

I screamed for the kids to get out of the house and in that moment the inside of the oven had flames! I turned it off and ran to the circuit breakers and threw them off. That put out the firs and stopped the sparking. After it cooled and the smoke cleared, I looked inside and saw that about 6 inches of the element is missing, completely burned away! My oven was clean and well-cared for. I know it has had plenty of use but I can't believe this just happened! Now that I see all these other reviews, I am just shocked!

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GE Spectra oven fire

By bettymeshields - 07/22/2010

A month or so ago, my daughter was cooking something in the oven (which we've had no problems with until now) when I smelled something and saw a spark in the oven. Like some of the other people mentioned, I tried to douse it, not with water, but with baking soda, which did no good.

I called a neighbor since my husband was out of town and asked him to come before the house caught on fire. I literally stood there and watched it like one of those old episodes on TV, where they lit a fuse to light dynamite on fire; by the time my neighbor got to our house, the fire had finished traveling 3/4 of the length of the heating element. I never thought to turn off the electricity, I was too rattled.

I'm going to try to replace the part (we've been grilling ever since, as it is summer, after all) and see if we can get it working again. But from everything I've read here, there should have been a recall on this oven a long, long time ago.

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Oven Fire

By G&MD - 09/28/2009

While preheating the oven, I noticed a flickering light through the glass. I opened the oven to a white, sparkler type light and small fire. I turned off the oven and attempted to put the fire out with a flour-like substance (as could be done for a grease fire), but it didn't work. I used the fire extinguisher and called 911. The heating element had burned and broken inside of the oven. There was nothing in the oven to start the fire.

The same thing happened to my next door neighbor with the same oven within the past 12 months. Our neighborhood is less than 10 years old, and I want all of my neighbors to know that this could happen. Like my neighbors, we will replace the oven instead of getting a repair...and it won't be a GE Spectra! Thank God I was home and in the kitchen; this story could have ended very differently. Thank you to the firemen and rescue heroes of the world.

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Bottom Oven Element Shorted Out

By cihigh - 09/13/2009

My GE Spectra is about five years old. I don't bake very often, maybe twice at Christmas and once a week when making a roast or casserole. Last night a hot spot (an extra bright spot) on the lower heating element that I had been keeping an eye on for a while ('cause I never saw one before) shorted out and burnt with an arc-white flame. Threw the 220 line breaker and it stopped. DO NOT STAND THERE AND WATCH IT BURN!

This is very inconvenient and unsafe. It is not enough to say "things don't last like they used to". Perhaps an element might rupture in a cheap toaster oven, but we have an order of magnitude difference in price here! Now I know what will happen and you do, too. Replace element if you see a hot spot. I want a recall, and better-made replacement upper and lower calrods! Wonder what's going on with the burners beneath the glass top?

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GE Spectra Oven Started on Fire

By Klabacka134 - 04/17/2015

Rating: 1/51

NATIONAL COMPANY, WISCONSIN -- Exactly like other reviews. My circuit breaker did its job and the fire went out, but the entire element was on fire. Good news? The food was done and survived.

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GE Spectra Oven Fire

By Debbieww - 01/28/2010

We got this oven with our new home in 2002. On January 26, 2010, I turned on the oven to preheat so I could cook our supper. Standing next to the stove at the counter, I heard a popping noise. I looked in the oven and there was a bright light with sparks coming off it. Immediately I turned off the oven. It was the bake element on fire. The fire did not go out after turning the control to off.

I called my husband into the kitchen and we pulled out the stove enough so I could get behind it and unplug it. Then it went out. The oven was not dirty and nothing was in it cooking so that did not start the fire. The element is badly damaged. After doing several searches on the internet over the last few days, I am finding this appears to be a common way for the elements to go out.

I have ordered a new element to replace the burnt one. But after sleeping on it, I think it may be safer to also change out the broil element. It did make me a little nervous to learn this is a common thing to happen. This is my first electric stove and oven. I have always had gas.